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The Islanders spent plenty of time this season looking for the precise accomplice for Mathew Barzal.
Without him, they’ve discovered a configuration that’s helped them look slightly extra like themselves.
Barzal missed his fifth straight sport Monday in opposition to the Avalanche at UBS Arena with a lower-body damage, and it’s unclear when he’ll return. The Islanders break up the primary 4 with out their star heart, even handing over stable performances within the losses at Colorado on March 1 and residential in opposition to the Canucks final Thursday. On Saturday in opposition to the Blues, in a 2-1 victory, the Islanders performed what may need been their finest sport of the season. Certainly, it was the victory that the majority resembled their character as a staff.
For 60 minutes, they performed a bodily, straight-line sport, the sort of hockey Islanders coach Barry Trotz desires his staff to play. The sort of hockey that Barzal typically goes away from.
That’s not a knock on No. 13, who leads the Islanders with 37 factors this season, and it’s plainly fallacious to recommend the Isles are higher with out him. It is true, although, that his freelancing model is completely different from what the Islanders’ different facilities play. That model is what makes Barzal so good, however in a season when the Isles have struggled to seek out their sport, it’s been one thing of a catch-22 at instances.
“I think with the other guys, with Mat you’ve gotta look to get open,” Trotz stated. “He might not give you the puck all the time when you expect it, but he’ll get you the puck eventually, so you’re always looking to get it open. I think with our other centermen, you’re in a little more of a straight line. Advance the puck, get it back.”
Lately, the Islanders have been extra profitable at using that. As they’ve stated all yr, they’re not a staff that’s able to frequently outscoring their opponents. Team president Lou Lamoriello constructed this roster to grind its technique to wins.
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The Islanders have typically failed to do this, and thus discover themselves out of the playoff race. But over the previous week, you haven’t wanted to squint to seek out the outlines of what may have been.
“Barzy’s such a dynamic player and the way he holds the puck is obviously different than a lot of guys in our lineup,” stated Anders Lee, Barzal’s common linemate. “So you go right back into playing with other guys like I said, you just try to find that chemistry right away and roll with it. And we’re with each other all the time.”
Lee missed the win over St. Louis for private causes, however was again within the lineup on Monday.
The Islanders’ depth on the heart place has been noticeably stretched with out Barzal, as Trotz has double-shifted Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau at instances. Josh Bailey has been the third-line heart, however Trotz has tried to keep away from these minutes. The staff’s addition of Austin Czarnik through waivers may assist alleviate the problem if Barzal finally ends up lacking prolonged time.
Lee, who performed with Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier in opposition to Vancouver, stated that switching linemates was “pretty natural.”
“We skate with each other every day,” he stated. “You know everyone’s game and you just try to build that chemistry right away and build on each game. And there’s little things and little plays that, definitely, you have that communication with other guys. So you kind of gotta break through a little bit of stuff like that, but you try to find it as quick as possible.”
